WASHINGTON, DC—Senators Snowe and Collins have joined a group of their colleagues in cosponsoring legislation that would allow uniformed servicemembers to testify before the BRAC Commission as to the military value of defense installations listed on the Department of Defense recommended BRAC list. Further, this bill ensures that servicemembers who choose to testify will be protected against retaliation of any kind. BRAC recommendations include closure of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, realignment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station and closure of DFAS at Limestone. "In Maine alone, thousands of jobs and millions of dollars are at stake in the BRAC process, as well as adequate provision of our nation's defense. It is critical that we take every step necessary to ensure that the value of each base is accurately reflected as the Commission reviews the DoD's decisions. This bill will allow the commissioners to hear about a base's military value from actual operators and warfighters, rather than simply relying on the Pentagon's recommendations," Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement.
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